Tribewanted: Vorovoro

Finally, after months of shell collecting, glass sorting, ceramic smashing and pile planning, for all those crazy creative fans out there…the shower mosaic project is well under way! WooOOOop de woo :)

The mosaic plan first started when the showers were being completed last August and the search for shells was on… Although a good few months of preparation began, the rainy season kicked in and the project slowed…however, this was perfect time for gathering and sorting and when the sun started to shine down on the showers again in April, wall testing could begin. A crucial part of the mix. Very exciting!

After lots of trial tests and errors with concrete, different makes of tile adhesive, coloured oxide and various types and sizes of object, I have now come up with a firm process which holds everything in place and brings out the best in the design.

The perfect process:

It’s slow and delicate work, you need persistence and a steady hand (some random pieces decide to fall off or not stick…grrr!)..but once this has been mastered, the organic design links together and falls into place.

The secret is to work little by little. A small section at a time. Firstly, the concrete surface of the showers is covered with mixed up tile adhesive, then the selected mosaic pieces are spread out and once chosen, each individual piece has their back covered with a little more adhesive (to give extra stickage) and pressed onto the wall. This is repeated until the small patch is completed. Then, the surface is dabbed with a piece of foam to get off any excess tile adhesive and allowed to dry.

Next step…

Once the pieces have been stuck, the surface is then wiped again to brake off any lumps.
Now for the grouting! Labasa luckily has a few hardware shops with different colours of grout so once we’ve worked out what colour will work best, the grout is mixed with rain water and smoothed into the mosaic panel. This is then allowed to dry for a little while before the surface is wiped again with a rag to complete the smoothness.
When the grout is completely dry, the mosaic area needs to be scrubbed and the design will shine through…

Oooh yes!

Vorovoro Mosaic Requirements:

Conditions needed: a sunny day with lots of space to spread out the pieces…
Resources necessary: Tile adhesive, rain water, random pieces, rags, foam, rice sack to protect the ground and a lovely, latex glove!
Skills required: Patience, an eye for tessellation, time…oh and just a little bit more patience!
Mosaic materials: washed up smooth glass, shells, broken ‘Vorovoro’ mugs, plates and bowls, found oyster shells, reclaimed Labasa glass and ceramics, tribe bottles reused…

So what was the point in the showers apart from making them look pretty?

Well I guess it’s a colourful statement which shows that you can make something out of anything! Everything stuck onto the showers is completely free, either washed up on our sandy beaches, reused from the kitchen and bins or reclaimed from Labasa…

Shower Development:

Soooo, the main panel has been stuck and a team of tribe have got stuck into scrubbing the surface this week. It is now just waiting for the grout and then the first part will be complete! Emma, Frances, Sonny, Lisa, Jale and Sharan have already started working on a few designs which include an awesome, abstract outline of Vorovoro, tanoa bowl, Frangipani flowers, a heron and some refreshing leaves….

We still have to work on the marine side which will include turtles, star fish, sea snakes and crabs but a lot of the tribe are willing to help out so lots of crazy activity in the showers coming up! It’s a really peaceful place to be and gives an unusual perspective view of the island which overlooks Leavi’s plant nursery and gardens so it’s a beautiful creative space…and the great thing about this creative project is that you can always have a chat with someone who is washing on the other side, haha!

One big chunky thank you to everyone who has helped stick on the pieces and scrubbed so far as well as a whopping vinaka vaka levu to all those tribe members who did their little bit of shell gathering, sorting and beach scouring last year when the idea first began. I really appreciate all the time and patience and I am sure everyone will be very happy soaking up the colourful patterns when washing in the future! You never know, it might be a famous Fijian master piece one day, hehehe :)

…and for all those tribies who are coming in the next few weeks, get your gloves on and your creative juices going and be apart of the Vorovoro art piece! The more hands up at the showers the better!

More mosaic photos and an update of the exciting development coming soon…